People ask “Why build the largest network of private instructors in addition to your recruiting service?” Simple. Every player’s game and recruiting strategy is different, both requiring personal attention along with tailored instruction and advice. The majority of ConnectLAX instructors are recent graduates, having just navigated the recruiting process and learned where pitfalls to avoid are.
College coaches interviewed by ConnectLAX have mentioned Division I transfer rates among college players approaching 40%. That is why ConnectLAX provides it’s college matching service for free so players can find schools that fit both on and off the field. With over 1,400 collegiate lacrosse programs, there is a lot to compare.
As recent graduates, private instructors can provide an insider perspective into the student-athlete experience at the college level as well as key factors to consider. Here are a few recruiting tips from Roman Lao-Gosney, Lehigh All-American & Captain and ConnectLAX instructor.
Where did you play college lacrosse and why did you choose that program?
I played college lacrosse at Lehigh University and I will always be a proud Mountain Hawk alumni. I chose Lehigh for two main reasons. One being the arrival of head coach Kevin Cassese and the uprise of the program. Coach Cassese’s passion and determination was immediately felt when being recruited by him and one thing that stuck over other coaches at other programs is he did not give me a strict timeline to commit. He genuinely wanted me to make the right decision for myself in terms of school and lacrosse. This leads me to the second main reason why I chose Lehigh. It is a smaller private school where I felt I wanted to be, regardless of whether or not I was playing lacrosse there.
Did you have any positive and negative surprises about the program once you were on campus?
There were not many surprises about the program as a whole when I first got to Lehigh. I feel like this is mostly because our coaching staff did (and does) a great job of shooting players straight. As players, we respect hearing the truth, whether it’s what we want to hear or not.
One thing that I did have to come to terms with over time, was that I couldn’t just show up and win a National Championship. I can honestly say that I felt I would win one before I graduated Lehigh, but after the first season, my mentality changed. It wasn’t that I had given up the dream, it was more about refining it. I became set on taking smaller steps toward program success and by my senior year, we won our first Patriot League Championship in a long time. I leave behind a legacy that will hopefully help the program to a National Championship.
Given your recruiting experience, what advice or tips do you have for current recruits?
The advice I would give to current recruits is to pick a school that you see yourself going, whether or not lacrosse is in the picture. Injuries happen and passions change. You never know what can happen once you’re at a school, but what you can do for yourself is choose a school that fits your needs and feels right.
My advice for players who are trying to get recruited by better programs is to watch and learn from the best players on your team, on college teams, on MLL teams, and world teams. Watch players that have a similar game to your own, do what they do, and then make it better.
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